System and Method for Dispensing a Customized Nutraceutical Product

This patent application is a Continuation of U.S. utility patent application Ser. No. 18/225,663 titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING A CUSTOMIZED NUTRACEUTICAL PRODUCT” filed on Jul. 24, 2023, which is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. utility patent application Ser. No. 17/108,928 titled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING A CUSTOMIZED NUTRACEUTICAL PRODUCT” filed on Dec. 1, 2020, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,710,551 on Jul. 25, 2023.

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for dispensing nutraceutical products (collectively, the “system”). More specifically, the system dispenses a customized nutraceutical product that is created for consumption by a particular individual. The recipe of the nutraceutical provided to a particular individual can be selectively modified by the system based on one or more attributes of the individual ingesting nutraceutical product, as well as relevant environment factors such as time of year, temperature, sunlight, humidity, etc.

The term “nutraceuticals” covers a wide range of products that are consumed by human beings in a solid or liquid form. A nutraceutical is ingested by a human being for the purposes of obtaining a health or medical benefit. Nutraceuticals are sometimes referred to as “functional foods” such as yogurt, fresh bread, cereal bars, snack bars, frozen baked goods, various drinks, etc. or as “dietary supplements” such as vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants, fortified dairy products, botanicals, amino acids, minerals, and enzymes. In some contexts, a nutraceutical is in the form of a liquid that is sprayed into an orifice of the individual consuming the nutraceutical.

According to Stock News Magazine, the global nutraceutical market is expected to grow from $31.69 billion in 2017 to $56.52 billion in 2025. According to Grand View Research, the compound annual growth rate for the nutraceutical industry from 2016 through 2024 will be 9.6%. The growing demand and variety of nutraceutical products cannot be denied. That demand is attributed at least in part to a rising awareness of cardiovascular disorders, and the benefits that nutraceuticals can provide. Such demand may be particularly strong among working professionals with inactive lifestyles and non-optimal diets.

As written in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine in December of 2014, nutraceutical products are increasingly viewed as viable alternatives to pharmaceutical products in an effort to improve health, mitigate or even prevent chronic diseases, increase life expectancy, mitigate the negative impacts of age, and to otherwise delivery physiological benefits and therapeutic effects:

“Recent studies have shown promising results for these compounds in various complications. In the present review much effort has been devoted to present new concepts about nutraceuticals based on their diseases modifying indications. Emphasis has been made to present herbal nutraceuticals effective on hard curative disorders related to oxidative stress including allergy, alzheimer, cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, eye, immune, inflammatory and Parkinson's diseases as well as obesity [Abstract].” Int J Prev Med 2014 December; 5 (12): 1487-99.

A significant obstacle in many endeavors relating to healthcare is the lack of efficacy in a one size fits all approach. The health status, requirements, and overall wellbeing of two individuals can be differentiated on the basis of genetics, medical history, living/work environments, diet, age, gender, race, allergies, and current medical treatments. The impact of these different factors is supported by many years of independent research, and medical science is continuously capturing experimental data and insights relating to the various factors. Despite all that investigative and analytical work, the delivery of nutraceutical products to consumers is not specifically tailored to address any of these different attributes. As such, the efficacy of nutraceutical products in the prior art are substantially and needlessly limited by a one size fits all approach.

It would be desirable for a nutraceutical dispensing system to provide users with customized nutraceutical products tailored to their individual needs, status, and other attributes that are relevant to the individual user.

Unfortunately, the prior art affirmatively teach away appears to away from the capability of providing customized nutraceutical products. The prior art addresses the problems of different consumer attributes by creating an ever increasing universe of non-customized products that are sometimes marketed on the basis of a single consumer attribute rather than creating products that are customized to address the needs of the individual consumers based on a larger or even comprehensive set of characteristics pertaining to the consumer. In particular, the prior art affirmatively teaches away from individually customized nutraceutical products that can be calibrated to work within the constraints of the delivery mechanism to achieve sublingual absorption as a single dose.

The system can be further understood as described in the Summary of the Invention section set forth below.

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for dispensing nutraceutical products (collectively, the “system”). More specifically, the system dispenses a customized nutraceutical product that is created for consumption by a particular individual. In some embodiments, the customized nutraceutical product can even if be specifically designed to address the current health of the consumer, at a particular location, and at a particular time of year. The recipe of the nutraceutical provided to a particular individual can be selectively modified by the system based on one or more attributes of the individual ingesting nutraceutical product, as well as potentially influenced relevant environment factors such as time of year, temperature, sunlight, humidity, etc.

The system provides for the creation of a customized nutraceutical that is intended to be consumed by a specific user. Customized nutraceutical products are typically human beings, but such products can also be used with a broad range of animals be they livestock on a farm, beloved family pets, or animals that fulfill very specific purposes such as race horses, rescue dogs, etc. The recipe for creating the customized nutraceutical is modified in at least one way as a result of at least one attribute relating to the intended consumer of the customized nutraceutical. In many embodiments of the system, the recipe will be selectively modified in many different ways based on the aggregate impact of numerous relevant attributes. Recipes can be modified in terms of ingredients as well as in terms of the process steps for the creation of the applicable nutraceutical. Different embodiments of the system can involve different recipe variations and different consumer attributes that selectively influence those variations.

The system can allow consumers of customized nutraceuticals to interact directly with the system or through other human representatives. Health care providers working with a particular consumer of customized nutraceuticals can also be empowered to impact the operations of the system in some embodiments of the system.

The system can transform a general purpose computer into a specialized machine that improves the efficacy of nutraceuticals by modifying the nutraceutical recipes to address relevant attributes of the consumer who will ultimately be ingesting that nutraceutical.

The system can utilize a wide variety of different information technology infrastructures and components for processing information.

The system can utilize a wide variety of different manufacturing components. In some embodiments of the system, the system also provides for the automated manufacturing of customized components. In some instances, such production can occur in a real time basis at onsite kiosks accessed by consumers and their representatives.

The system can create and dispense a nutraceutical products that are specifically tailored to individual users to be taken in single doses.

The system can be further understood in terms of the drawings described below.

The drawings described briefly above can be further understood in accordance with the Detailed Description section set forth below.

The invention relates generally to systems and methods for dispensing nutraceutical products (collectively, the “system”). More specifically, the system dispenses a customized nutraceutical product that is created for consumption by a particular individual. The recipe of the nutraceutical provided to a particular individual can be selectively modified by the system based on one or more attributes of the individual ingesting nutraceutical product, as well as potentially influenced relevant environment factors such as time of year, temperature, sunlight, humidity, etc.

All element numbers referenced in the text below are listed in Table 1 along with an element name and definition.

Element Element Number Name Element Definition and Descriptions 50 PHYSICAL LOCATION A geographic position in the non-virtual, physical world. In most embodiments of the system 100, data 600 is processed and communicated over a network 310 to support the manufacturing of a personalized nutraceutical 81. In describing the system 100 and in supporting claim limitations, it may be helpful to keep in the mind the following physical locations 50: (1) the physical location 50 of the user 60 when the user 60 initiates an interaction 90 with the system 100; (2) the physical location 50 of the computer 330 running the computer program 373 and housing the data 600 that includes health attributes 640 used to selectively influence the computer program 373 in modifying the recipe 692 into a personalized recipe 693; (3) the physical location 50 of the production assembly 500 that manufactures the personalized nutraceutical 81; and (4) the physical location 50 of the user 60 when the user 60 is given access to the personalized nutraceutical 81. In some embodiments, all four physical locations 50 can be the same. In many embodiments, the physical location 50 where the user 60 initiates the interaction 90 and where the user 60 receives the personalized nutraceutical 81 are identical. In still other embodiments, the user 60 interacts with the system 100 at the same location of production assembly 500, with a server 353 positioned as a second and remote physical location 50. In some embodiments of the system 100, the system 100 will monitor temperature, sunlight, humidity, and other environmental data 600 at the locations for the purposes of optimizing the value of the nutraceutical 81 to users 60. 60 USER A user 60 is a being who either interacts directly with the system 100 or is an individual who interacts indirectly with the system 100 through an intermediary, such as a representative 64. Examples of users 60 include but are not limited to: (A) human beings who consume the personalized nutraceutical product 81 of the system 100 (i.e. consumers 62); (B) human beings who interact directly with the system 100 on behalf of consumers 62 (i.e. representatives 64); (C) providers 66; and (D) administrators 68. Users 60 can interact with the system 100 through the IT platform 300 that can utilize a wide variety of different computers 330. 62 Consumer A living organism who consumes the nutraceutical product 80 created by the system 100. The consumer 62 is typically a human being, but in some embodiments, the nutraceutical product 80 can be created for other types of animals or even plants. Non-human examples of consumers 62 can include livestock on farm, beloved family pets, or animals serving special purposes such as racehorses, bomb sniffing dogs, etc. Non-human consumers 62 will involve their own sets of health attributes 640, some of which will common with human consumers 62 and other information which would not. For example, the breed of a dog or horse will greatly impact their overall health assessment and the processing of the recipe computer 330 to derive the optimal personalized recipe 693 64 Representative A user 60 who interacts with the system 100 on behalf of someone else who actually consumes the nutraceutical product 80, i.e. a consumer 62. 66 Provider A user 60 who is providing health care services to a consumer 62. Examples of providers 66 can include physicians, dentists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, midwives, and other similar professionals, as well as individuals acting on behalf of such professionals. Data 600 provided by providers 66 can be particularly useful in selectively impacting the formulation for the customized nutraceutical 81. 68 Administrator A user 60 who interacts with the system 100 in order to maintain and support the functionality of the system 100. Administrators 66 will often be personnel such as employees and contractors of the business or organization that makes the system 100 available to other users 60 70 INTERACTION An action or a communication occurring between the user 60 and the system 100. Interactions 70 can occur through different components of the IT platform 300 and a user 60. 80 NUTRACEUTICAL PRODUCT A solid or liquid product that is ingested by a consumer 82 for the purpose of obtaining a medical benefit. Nutraceutical products 80 are sometimes referred to as “functional foods” (such as yogurt, fresh bread, cereal bars, snack bars, frozen baked goods, and various beverages) but are most commonly referred to as “dietary supplements” (such as vitamins, probiotics, botanicals, amino acids, minerals, and enzymes). 81 Personalized Nutraceutical/ A nutraceutical product 80 that is Customized Nutraceutical specifically created for a particular consumer 62 where the recipe 592 is selectively influenced by at least one health attribute 540 relating to the particular consumer 62. 82 Liquid Nutraceutical A nutraceutical product 80 that exists in a liquified form. 84 Sprayed Nutraceutical A liquid nutraceutical 82 that is sprayed into the mouth of a consumer 62. 86 Dose A quantity of nutraceutical product 80 to be taken at a single time. 88 Powder Fine, dry particles produced by grinding, crushing, drying, disintegration, or other similar process of a solid substance. The personalized nutraceutical 81 can be in the form of a powder 88. In many embodiments, the powder 88 will be intended to be reconstituted to a liquid before by a user 60 by the addition of water before it is consumed by the consumer 62. 90 DISPENSER/CONTAINER A mechanism by which one or more doses of the nutraceutical product 80 is delivered to the consumer 82. In many embodiments, the dispenser 90 will hold a single dose 86 of a sprayed nutraceutical 84. 92 Single-Dose Dispenser A dispenser 90 that holds only a single dose 86 of the nutraceutical product 80. 94 Spray Dispenser A dispenser 90 for a sprayed nutraceutical 84. 100 SYSTEM A collection of subsystems, assemblies, components, devices, and data 600 that can perform the function of producing a personalized nutraceutical 81 for a specific consumer 62. A system 100 includes: (A) a production device 500 to manufacture the personalized nutraceutical 81; and (B) an IT platform 300 that is enabled to control the production device 500 and selectively modify the recipe 692 into a personalized recipe 693 based on one or more health attributes 640 associated with the intended consumer 62 of the personalized nutraceutical 81. 110 Integrated System or Kiosk An implementation of the system 100 where a single integrated assembly or device includes one of the following: (a) a production device 500; and (b) a computer 330 local to the user 60 for initiating an interaction 70 with the system 100. 300 IT PLATFORM/ A collection of two or more computers IT ARCHITECTURE 330 connected across a network 310 that enables the functionality of the system 100. The IT platform 300 provides the means by which: (1) a user 60 can interact 90 with the system 100; (2) the software application 373 selectively modifies a recipe 692 into a personalized recipe 693, with that processed selectively influenced by one or more health attributes 640; (3) and communicate the personalized recipe 693 to the production assembly 500 for the production of a personalized nutraceutical 81 from the personalized recipe 693. 310 Network A pathway between two computers 330 that is enabled to transmit data 600. Examples of networks 310 include but are not limited to the Internet, LANs, WANs, the World Wide Web, and other public, private, and semi-public/semi- private networks. 330 Computer An electronic device that is used for storing and processing data 600. A computer 330 can be of various computer types 340 and be comprised of a variety of computer components 370. 340 Computer Types A computer 330 can be categorized in numerous ways that are not related to the components 370 making up the computer 220 341 General Purpose Computer A computer 330 that allows the user 60 to freely add or remove programs 373 from the computer. Common examples of general purpose computers include desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers 345, and smart phones 347 342 Embedded Computer A computer 330 that is embedded in a device, such as a production assembly 500. Industrial equipment such as the production assembly 400 may utilize one or more embedded computers 342 to control the operations of the manufacturing process. 343 Stationary Computer A computer 330 such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer that is not readily usable as the user walks or otherwise moves around. 344 Mobile Computer A computer 330 that is easily moved as the user moves. Wearable computer 346 are mobile computers 344, as are tablet computer 345 and smart phones 347 345 Tablet Computer A mobile computer 344 that is in the form of a tablet. 346 Wearable Computer A mobile computer 344 that is worn by the user 60. 347 Smart Phone A mobile computer 344 that is in the form a smart phone. 348 Watch Computer A wearable computer 346 that is worn on the wrist like a wristwatch. 350 Local Computer/Client Device A computer 330 that is located either at the physical location 50 of the user 60 or the physical location 50 of the production assembly 500. 352 Remote Computer/Server A computer 330 that is remote from the physical location 50 of the user 60 and the physical location 50 of production assembly 500. 370 Computer Components A computer 330 is comprised of a variety of components, such as an interface 371, a processor 372, a program 373, a storage component 374, a database 375, and a communications component 376. 371 Interface Means by which a user 60 and a computer 330 interact, typically through a graphical user interface that consists of screens, buttons 372 Processor A central processing unit (CPU) that performs the instructions set forth in the program 373. 373 Program or Application A collection of instructions that are submitted to the processor 372 enabling the computer 330 to perform certain functions. The application(s) 373 or program(s) 373 can implement a variety of heuristics and/or algorithms so that the resulting recipe for a customized nutraceutical 81 is selectively influenced by even subtle combinations of factors that exceed 1,000,000 variables. In some embodiments, the application 373 is enhanced over time from feedback and/or a machine learning component. 374 Storage Component A mechanism by which data 600 is stored such that in can be accessed by the computer 330 after the computer is turned off and then on again. 375 Database A specialized program 373 that stores and organizes a structured set of data 600 that is stored on the storage component 374 in a manner such that other computer programs 373 can add, update, delete, and read information. 376 Communication Component A part or device that allows a computer 330 to connect to a network 310. The communication component 376 is also commonly referred to as an adaptor. 380 Peripheral Devices Devices that interact or interface with a computer 330. 382 Input Devices A peripheral device 380 that can be used to input data 600 to the system 100. In this context, the frame of reference for the word “input” is the computer 330 receiving the data 600. 383 Sensor An input device 382 that captures, readings, measurements, or other forms of information. 384 Camera A sensor 383 that captures sensor readings in the form of images. 385 Microphone A sensor 383 that captures audio information. 386 Retina Scanner A type of camera 384 that captures information relating to the retina of a user 60 such that the user 60 can be identified using the information. 387 Keyboard A panel of keys that can be used to submit information to a computer 330. Keyboards can be physical or electronic. 390 Output Devices Devices that communicate information to the user 62. In this context, the frame of reference for the word “output” is the computer 330 displaying or playing data 600 391 Screen An output device 390 that displays visual information. 392 Speaker An output device 390 that plays audio information. 500 PRODUCTION ASSEMBLY/ A device, assembly, or other PRODUCTION PLATFORM configuration of components that enable the manufacture of nutraceutical product 80. The production assembly 500 can include but are not limited to: storage containers 510 for storing ingredients 520, mixing containers 520, heating elements 540, stirring elements 550, cooling elements 560, controls 570, and computers 330. 510 Storage Container An object that is used by the production device 500 to store a solid, liquid, or gas. 520 Ingredient A solid, liquid, or gas that is stored in a storage container 510 and available for use in making nutraceutical products 80. 530 Mixing Container A vessel used to hold ingredients 520 as they are mixed in making nutraceutical products 80. 540 Heating Element A device used to apply heat in the making of nutraceutical products 80. 550 Stirring Element A device used to mix ingredients 520 in a mixing container 530. 560 Cooling Element A device used to remove heat in the making of nutraceutical products 80. 570 Control A switch, button, knob, dial, or some other similar mechanism that impacts the operation of the production device 500. 600 DATA Information that is accessible to the system 100, created by the system 100 or otherwise subject to the processing of the system 100. The system 100 can store, create, update, and delete data 600 through the IT Platform 300 used by the system 100. Data 600 includes both inputs 610 and outputs 690. Data 600 can originate from a variety of different data sources 680. The singular form of “data” is “datum”. 610 Inputs An input 610 is data 600 utilized by the system 100 in creating an output 590. In this context, the frame of reference for the term “input” is that the of software application 373. 620 User Profile A user profile 620 is a collection of data 600 stored on the database 375 that relates to the user 60. A user profile 620 can include all data 600 relating to the health attributes 640 of the user 60. A user profile 620 is linked to a particular user 60 through an ID 622 and password 624. A user profile 620 pertains to a particular consumer 62. 622 ID A key or other unique identifier on the system 100 that is associated with the applicable user profile 620. 624 Password A secret word, phrase, string of characters, or biometric identifier associated with a user 60 that allowed the user 60 to access the system 100 as the particular user 60. 640 Health Attributes A health attribute 640 is a datum 600 pertaining to the consumer 62 that can be used to selectively influence recipe 592 and/or composition 594 of the personalized nutraceutical 81 created for that consumer 62. Examples of health attributes 640 can include but are not limited to age 642, weight 644, gender 646, race 648, profession 650, location 652, medical history 654, current medical status 656, current prescriptions 658, current treatments 660, self-assessments 662, health metrics 664, and virtually any other attribute relating to the consumer 62 642 Age or Chronological Age The length of time that the consumer 62 has lived. 643 Biological Age or Advanced A derived health attribute that is Health Metric calculated by the application(s) 373 of the system 100. The system 100 can calculate a metric to assess biologically rather than chronologically how old the consumer 62 is. By way of example, a human being who is only thirty years of age may possess health attributes such as blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. that are common for someone twice their age. The system 100 can dynamically assess biological age 643 based on the specific outcomes desired by the consumer 62. 644 Weight/Mass The quantity of matter comprising the consumer 62. 646 Gender The state of being male, female, or other genders. 648 Race A category of humankind that shares certain distinctive physical traits to which the consumer 62 belongs. 650 Profession/Job An occupation held by the consumer 62. 652 Location A geographic position associated with the consumer 62. A location 652 can be a residential location 652 or a work location 652. 654 Medical History A collection of data 600 relating to the past healthcare status and treatments of the consumer 62. 655 Family Medical History A collection of data 600 relating to the medical history of the consumer's family. 656 Current Medical Status A collection of data 600 relating to the consumer's health condition. 658 Current Prescriptions A collection of data 600 relating to the pharmaceutical products utilized by the consumer 62. 660 Current Treatments A collection of data 600 relating to ongoing medical procedures and care received by the consumer 62. 662 Self-Assessments An assessment by a consumer 62 that is submitted to the system 100 relating to the perceived health of the consumer 62. Assessments can relate to happiness/unhappiness, contentment, stress, quality of sleep, quantity of sleep, energy levels, 664 Health Metrics Any indirect or direct health metric 664 that is not already expressly listed as an example of a health attribute 640. Examples of health metrics 664 include blood pressure, cholesterol levels, heart rate, blood cell counts, 666 Time of Year A portion of the calendar year. The time of year 666 can be associated with certain temperatures, humidity, physical ailments, allergies, etc. that can be factored into the processing of the application 373 in defining the personalized recipe 693. 668 UV Light Metric A health-related measurement of the consumer 62 that is captured using ultraviolet light. 680 Data Sources A source of data 600 that is stored or utilized by the system 100. Data sources 680 can include but are not limited to sensor measurements 682, user inputs 684, previously stored data 686, and third-party sources. 682 Sensor Measurement A datum 600 that originated as a measurement or reading captured by a sensor 383. 684 User Input A datum 600 that originated as information inputted into the system 100 by a user 60. 686 Previously Stored Data A datum 600 that is stored on the system 100 and used an input 610 for subsequent outputs 690. 688 Third Party Sources A datum 600 that resides on a computer 330 outside the scope of the system 100, but accessible through a network 310 such as the Internet. By way of example, as medical information is learned and made accessible to the public, the system 100 can use such information to selectively influence the creation of personalized nutraceuticals 81. 690 Outputs A result or output of a computer program 373 that is selectively influenced by one or more inputs 610. Outputs 690 can be selectively influenced by any combination of one or more inputs 690. The frame of reference for the term “output” in this instance relates to the application 373 that outputs the personalized recipe 693. 692 Recipe/Process for making A sequential set of process steps coupled with the necessary ingredients 520 to create a personalized nutraceutical 81. The recipe 692 can be selectively influenced by one or more inputs 610 in accordance with the computer program 373 operating the manufacturing device 400. 693 Personalized Recipe A recipe 692 that has been selectively modified by the application 373 in accordance with one or more health attributes 640. 694 Composition A technical description of a nutraceutical product 80, with the description typically including the various components making up the nutraceutical product 80 and their various quantities. 696 Composition ID A unique identifier for a particular personalized nutraceutical 81. The Composition ID can be series of alphanumeric characters. In some embodiments, a consumer 62 who is knows the composition ID 696 for their specific personalized nutraceutical 81 can go to a production assembly 500 and order the desired personalized nutraceutical 81 without providing information about the consumer 62 or their profile 620. 697 Recipe ID A unique identifier for a particular personalized recipe 693. The Recipe ID can be series of alphanumeric characters. In some embodiments, a consumer 62 who is knows the composition recipe ID 697 for their specific personalized nutraceutical 81 can go do a production assembly 500 and order the desired personalized nutraceutical 81 without providing information about the consumer 62 or their profile 620. The system 100 can be implemented with more than 1 million potential variations of a template recipe 692 698 History All of the data 600 used by the system 100 can be potentially be stored as history for future reference by system 100 as inputs 610.

62 80 82 640 642 643 644 646 648 650 652 654 655 656 658 660 662 664 666 668 62 80 Each and every individual consumerhas different needs in terms of nutraceuticals. Differences between consumersare grounded in differences of health attributes, such as chronological age, biological age, weight/mass, gender, race, profession/job, location, medical history, family medical history, current medical status, current prescriptions, current treatments, self-assessments, health metrics, time of year, UV light metric, and other potential attributes that different consumersof nutraceuticals.

80 62 100 300 693 81 62 693 62 The efficacy of nutraceutical productswith respect to consumersin the prior art is impeded by the one size fits all approach. Implementation of the systemtransforms a computerinto a highly effective machine for creating a personalized recipefor the creation of a personalized nutraceuticalthat will be more effective for the specific consumerbecause such a personalized recipewas created to address the specific attributes of that specific consumer.

62 100 692 693 81 80 100 373 610 62 84 62 Prior art examples of giving individualized nutraceuticals in the prior art have always involved aggregating individual vitamins in an approximation of their individual requirements such as a multivitamin tablet, a vitamin D tablet, and a magnesium tablet. This prior art process of aggregation inherently limits what can be provided to consumersas individual tablets with exact combination of ingredients cannot be made. The systemcan be implemented with far more flexibility to selectively modify a recipeinto a modified recipeto create a personalized nutraceuticalrather than the template unmodified nutraceutical. By way of example, the systemcan include an applicationthat creates a modified recipe from a potentially wide range inputsto automatically calculate optimum nutrition requirements for each individual consumerand the production capabilities to produce a liquid vitamin spraythat will provide the individuals consumerswith their personalized vitamin and mineral requirements on a monthly basis.

Prior art systems find such true customization to be too expensive and time consuming. They claim to offer personalized vitamin products, but they either offer modest predefined alternative offerings or suggested aggregate combinations of products to achieve the customized result.

100 81 82 84 82 100 81 84 520 81 373 693 500 To overcome this problem in the prior art, the systemcan be implemented to provide personalized nutraceuticalsthat are in a liquid formthat are sprayedinto the mouth of the consumer. The systemcan manufacture a personalized nutraceuticalin the form of a liquid spraythat has been formulated in terms of ingredientsand process for making the personalized nutraceuticalby the algorithms embodied in the application. The algorithms can consist of numerous stages with up to 1,024,000 variables. After processing the finalized formulawill be sent to the manufacturing assemblywhere it can be made into a single liquid vial for administration as a fine oral spray via the oral mucosa. This formulation can change throughout the year dependent on need and will be supplied with modifications on a monthly basis thus covering the nutritional requirements of the individual for the year.

100 81 81 81 60 81 The systemdoes not need to calibrate the delivery mechanism for a customized nutraceutical, but it can be calibrated to work within the operating parameters of the delivery mechanism. This can be done in order to achieve sublingual absorption (absorption through blood vessels under the togue rather than the digestive track), which has advantages of speed and efficiency relative to digestive absorption. A single dose of a such a nutraceuticalwill typically have a single dose of not more than 3-5 sprays. Too many sprays, and “pooling” at the bottom of the mouth would result in swallowing, which defeats the aims of sublingual absorption. Too few sprays, and insufficient nutraceuticalis delivered to the user. A typical spray may vary between 2 mg to 3 mg of nutraceutical. In some embodiments, a practical limit of 4 2.5 mg sprays is implemented in a “bespoke” quantity of vitamins and supplements.

100 692 81 The systemcan formulate a recipefor a customized nutraceuticalwhich achieves the correct level of vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants, fortified dairy products, botanicals, amino acids, minerals, and enzymes etc. for achieving sublingual absorption. This can be done will influencing taste, stability, and other factors as well. Simply combining liquids into a spray bottle and spraying will not achieve the desire absorption.

1 FIG. 60 100 60 81 81 692 693 373 692 640 62 81 100 600 693 373 100 373 100 is a block diagram illustrating a userprompting the systemto provide the userwith a personalized nutraceutical. The customized nutraceuticalcan be created using a recipethat is modified into a personalized recipeby the application. The modification of the recipeis done selectively, in accordance with at least one attributeof the intended consumerof the customized nutraceutical. Different embodiments of the systemcan be implemented to “factor in” different numbers of types of datathat will selectively influence the formulation of the customized recipe. The applicationcan use a variety of different algorithms and heuristics to “factor in” the various inputs. In some embodiments of the system, the applicationcan access a machine learning component to assist the systemin determining

1 a FIG. 62 70 330 100 330 373 600 640 62 692 500 81 100 81 100 60 373 692 500 is a more detailed block diagram illustrating an example of a userinitiating an interactionwith the computerthat is a component of the system. The computerruns an applicationthat accesses data, which includes health attributesof the consumerto a create a personalized recipewhich is then sent to the production assemblyfor the production of the personalized nutraceutical. In many embodiments of the system, there will be a feedback loop from the personalized nutraceuticalsproduced by the systemand the userswho consume them, to the future processing of the applicationin generating future recipesfor future production by future production assemblies.

1 b FIG. 640 81 690 373 690 610 610 640 642 644 646 648 650 652 654 655 656 658 660 662 664 668 640 610 690 373 373 is block diagram illustrating an example of different health attributeswhich can be inputted to the application to selectively influence a personalized recipespecified as an outputof the application. The outputsof the applicationare created using the inputs. Health attributessuch as age, weigh/mass, gender, race, profession/job, location, medical history, family medical history, current medical status, current prescriptions, current treatments, self-assessments, health metrics, time of year 66, and UV light metrics, and potentially other health attributescan be common examples of inputsthat can selectively influence the outputsof the applicationthrough the algorithm(s) implemented by the application.

1 c FIG. 680 640 693 373 500 81 is a block diagram illustrating an example of different data sourcesand health attributeswhich can collectively influence the personalized recipethat is specified by the applicationfor creation by the manufacturing assemblyof a personalized nutraceutical.

680 682 684 686 688 680 600 610 373 693 500 Examples of potential data sourcescan include sensor readings, user inputs, previously stored data, and third-party sources. Data sourcesprovide sources of datathat can be used as inputsfor the applicationthat formulates the personalized recipefor the manufacturing assembly.

1 d FIG. 86 81 100 81 82 84 82 100 81 84 520 81 373 81 is input/output diagram illustrating the different ingredients (ingredients 1, 2, 3, . . . . X) being used to create a single doseof a personalized nutraceutical. The systemcan be implemented to provide personalized nutraceuticalsthat are in a liquid formthat are sprayedinto the mouth of the consumer. The systemcan manufacture a personalized nutraceuticalin the form of a liquid spraythat has been formulated in terms of ingredientsand process for making the personalized nutraceuticalby the algorithms embodied in the application. The algorithms can consist of numerous stages with up to 1,024,000 variables. It is anticipated that in the future, even a greater number of variables and possible configurations and parameters will be able to be “factored in” to the formulation of personalized nutraceuticals.

100 81 100 The systemdoes not need to calibrate the delivery mechanism for a customized nutraceutical(although the systemcould be implemented to factor in such a calibration in future advancements of delivery mechanisms) but it can be calibrated to work within the operating parameters of the delivery mechanism. This can be done in order to achieve sublingual absorption (absorption through blood vessels under the togue rather than the digestive track), which has advantages of speed and efficiency relative to digestive absorption. In some embodiments, a practical limit of 4 2.5 mg sprays is implemented in a “bespoke” quantity of vitamins and supplements.

100 693 81 The systemcan formulate a personalized recipefor a customized nutraceuticalwhich achieves the correct level of vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants, fortified dairy products, botanicals, amino acids, minerals, and enzymes etc. for achieving sublingual absorption. This can be done will influencing taste, stability, and other factors as well. Simply combining liquids into a spray bottle and spraying will not achieve the desire absorption.

1 e FIG. 100 is a flow chart diagram that illustrates an example of a feedback loop that is continuously applied to improve the customization/personalization processing performed by the system. Such a feedback loop can include machine learning technologies if desired.

916 918 81 940 81 100 At, a personalized recipe is created. At, that recipe is used to produce the customized nutraceutical. At, feedback is collected. Feedback can be collected in the form of user behavior, user communications, and objective measures of the resulting customized nutraceutical. This feedback loop can be continuous throughout the use of the system.

100 The systemcan be implemented using a wide variety of different architectures.

100 330 60 330 600 373 692 330 692 352 81 60 The systemcan be implemented in such a manner that a first computeris used by the useris different from a second computer(such as a server) that houses the dataand the applicationused to formulate the personalized recipe. A third computerreceives the personalized recipefrom the serverand uses it to manufacture the personalized nutraceuticalthat is then delivered to the user.

2 a FIG. 300 100 60 330 352 100 620 640 60 693 693 81 60 is block diagram illustrating an example an information technologyconfiguration used to implement the systemwhere the useraccesses a personal computerunder their control to interact with a servermanaged by the business operating the systemto access a profileof attributespertaining to the userin the creation of a personalized recipethat is transmitted to a production assembly so that the personalized recipecan be used manufacture a personalized nutraceuticalthat is then delivered to the user.

100 110 330 70 693 81 693 110 500 330 60 The systemcan be implemented as a kioskthat houses one or more computersfor receiving interactionsfrom users as well as receiving personalized recipesfor the manufacture of the personalized nutraceuticalsfrom the personalized recipes. The kioskin this drawing integrates the production assemblywith the computerused to receive userorders.

2 b FIG. 2 a FIG. 100 330 60 110 500 81 70 60 70 622 624 600 60 352 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the systemsimilar to the example of, except that the computerused by the useris part of a kioskthat includes the manufacturing assemblyto actually manufacture the personalized nutraceuticalin response to the interactionsprovided by the user. As illustrated in the drawing, the interactionscan be comprised of an IDand passwordthat relates to datapertaining to the userthat is stored on the server.

100 110 60 500 60 70 330 The systemcan be implemented such that the kioskthat is local to the userhouses the production assemblybut the userinitiates the interactionwith a mobile computersuch as a smart phone.

2 c FIG. 2 b FIG. 100 110 60 100 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the systemsimilar to the example ofexcept that the kioskis not used by the userto initiate the transaction with the system.

100 697 693 60 81 373 The systemcan associate a recipe IDwith each personalized recipe. This can be helpful because such an approach allows the userto order personalized nutraceuticalswithout having to invoke the algorithms in the application.

2 d FIG. 2 c FIG. 100 81 60 697 70 100 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the systemsimilar to the example ofexcept that in addition to the personalized nutraceutical, the userreceives a personalized recipe IDto facilitate future interactionswith the systemor to otherwise make future purchases.

3 a FIG. 300 500 100 81 70 60 300 330 600 610 690 310 330 is a hierarchy diagram illustrating an example of different components that can be included in the IT platformas well as the production assembly, both of which are used by the systemto produce a personalized nutraceuticalin response to an interactioninitiated by the user. As discussed and described above, an IT platformcan include computers(and their components), data(such as inputsand outputs), and networksthat connect the computerstogether.

500 500 81 62 500 110 60 A production assemblycan be implemented in a wide variety of different ways in terms of scale and location. The production assemblycan be implemented in a conventional manufacturing environment where the personalized nutraceutical productsare manufactured to be shipped to consumers. In other embodiments, the production assemblycan be implemented in a kioskthat is local to a user.

500 510 520 81 530 540 550 560 570 330 A production assemblycan include storage containersfor holding ingredients, ingredients for producing personalized nutraceuticals, mixing containers, heating elements, stirring elements, cooling elements, controls, and computers.

3 b FIG. 60 100 60 62 80 64 62 66 68 100 100 60 100 100 66 373 690 693 610 640 is hierarchy diagram illustrating the different categories of userswho can interact with the system. A usercan be a consumerwho ingests the nutraceutical, a representativeacting on behalf of the consumersuch as a family member or care taker, a providersuch as a physician, nurse, or physician assistant, and an administratorwho acts on behalf of the business operating the system. Different embodiments of the systemcan include different capabilities for different usersto interact through use of the system. For example, the systemcan be configured to authorize a providerto impact the process by which the applicationselectively generates outputssuch as a personalized recipefrom the inputsthat include various health attributes.

62 81 100 81 Consumersof the personalized nutraceuticalare often human beings, but the systemcan be used to benefit a wide range of animals and even plants. Whether animals are used for livestock on farms, are beloved family pets, or animals serving very specific purposes such as racehorses, guide dogs, etc. such animals can benefit from customized nutraceuticalsthat enhance their health and well being.

3 c FIG. 80 80 82 84 80 86 86 100 81 88 is a block diagram illustrating different examples of nutraceutical productsand their doses. Nutraceuticalscan be in a liquid formthat are capable of being sprayed. Nutraceuticalscan be produced in specific doses. The quantity of dosescan be part of the customization/personalization process of the system. Personalized nutraceuticalscan also be produced in the form of powders.

3 d FIG. 3 e FIG. 90 80 100 94 81 81 92 94 92 is a block diagram illustrating different examples of dispensers/containersfor holding, dispensing, and using nutraceutical products. Some embodiments of the systemwill use spray dispensersto hold and distribute personalized nutraceuticals. In many embodiments, the personalized nutraceuticalswill be distributed in the form of a single-dose dispenser.is a block diagram illustrating an example of a spray dispenserthat can be a single-dose dispenser.

3 f FIG. 340 100 60 330 100 330 693 330 500 81 is a block diagram illustrating different examples of computer types.that can be incorporated into the system. As discussed above, the useruses some type of computerto interact with the system, some type of computeris used to create personalized recipes, and some type of computeris used as part of the production assemblyto actually produce the personalized nutraceutical.

341 342 352 350 343 344 344 347 345 346 Examples of computer types 340 include general purpose computersand embedded computers, serversand client devices, stationary computersas well as mobile computers. Examples of mobile computerscan include smart phones, tablet computers, and wearable computers.

100 350 344 60 100 352 330 373 600 693 500 342 500 Different computer types 340 are more likely to be used to perform different functions within the system. Client devicessuch as mobile computersare more likely to serve as the interface between usersand the system. Serversacross networksare more likely to be used to house the applicationand dataused to create personalized recipes. The production assemblyis more likely to rely on embedded computersto control manufacturing components within the production assemblyin an automated way.

3 g FIG. 370 380 382 390 is a hierarchy diagram illustrating different examples of computer components, peripheral devices, input devices, and output devices.

330 370 371 372 373 692 374 600 375 376 380 380 382 383 384 385 386 387 610 380 390 391 392 As illustrated in the Figure, a computeris itself comprised of various computer components, such as an interface, a processor, an applicationthat applies the algorithms for selectively modify recipes, storage componentsfor storing data, databases, communication componentsand peripheral devices. Peripheral devicescan include input devicessuch as sensors, cameras, microphones, retina scanners, keyboards, and other means for receiving inputs. Peripheral devicescan also include output devicessuch as display monitors, speakers, printers, and other similar devices.

3 h FIG. 600 610 690 100 is a hierarchy diagram illustrating different examples of data, including the various inputsand outputsof the system.

610 100 622 624 620 640 642 643 644 646 648 650 652 655 656 658 660 654 666 668 662 664 Inputsused by the systemcan include user IDs, user passwords, and user profiles, which can be comprised of a wide variety of health attributessuch as chronological age, biological age, mass/weight, gender, race, profession/job, location, family medical history, current medical status, current prescriptions, current treatments, medical history, time of year, UV light metric, self-assessments, health metrics, and other characteristics.

690 693 697 694 696 698 Outputscan include personalized recipes, personalized recipe IDs, compositions, composition IDs, and history.

100 900 The systemcan be implemented in a variety of different ways to perform a variety of different methodsof operation.

4 a FIG. 81 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process for creating a personalized nutraceutical.

910 640 62 100 70 60 640 640 640 100 643 642 62 600 100 At, health attributesof the consumerare captured by the system. This can be done with each interactionby the user, or alternatively, can be done one time, stored for future access, and selectively updated in the future. The capturing of health attributescan also include using the captured health attributesto derive other health attributes. By way of example, the systemcould derive a biological age(in contrast to the chronological age) of the consumerusing the dataavailable to the system.

920 640 373 81 At, those attributesare used as inputs to the applicationto create a personalized nutraceutical.

4 b FIG. 60 81 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process performed by a userto create a personalized nutraceutical product.

902 60 100 100 60 At, the usersigns up on the systemand the systemcreates an account for the user.

910 100 640 62 At, the systemreceives/captures health attributesfor the consumer.

912 912 At, a profileis created and stored.

920 640 373 81 At, those attributesare used as inputs to the applicationto create a personalized nutraceutical.

4 c FIG. 60 81 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process performed by a userto create a personalized nutraceutical product.

904 60 100 At, the userlogs in to the system.

914 620 60 At, the profilefor the applicable useris accessed

920 640 373 81 At, those attributesare used as inputs to the applicationto create a personalized nutraceutical.

4 d FIG. 100 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process for an IT systemto create a personalized nutraceutical product after receiving an interaction from a user.

903 70 60 100 Atthe interactionis received from the userby the system.

914 620 60 640 At, the profilefor the applicable useris accessed to access the health attributes.

916 693 373 At, a personalized recipeis created by the application.

918 693 500 At, the personalized recipeis sent to the production assembly.

920 81 At, the personalized nutraceuticalis produced.

4 e FIG. 81 70 60 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process for an IT system to create a personalized nutraceutical productafter receiving an interactionfrom a user.

903 70 60 100 Atthe interactionis received from the userby the system.

914 620 60 640 At, the profilefor the applicable useris accessed to access the health attributes.

916 693 373 At, a personalized recipeis created by the application.

918 693 500 At, the personalized recipeis sent to the production assembly.

920 81 At, the personalized nutraceuticalis produced.

990 81 62 At, the personalized nutraceuticalis shipped to the consumer.

4 f FIG. 100 81 70 62 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process for an systemto create a personalized nutraceutical productafter receiving an interactionfrom a user.

903 70 60 100 Atthe interactionis received from the userby the system.

914 620 60 640 At, the profilefor the applicable useris accessed to access the health attributes.

915 693 697 373 At, a personalized recipeand a personalized recipe IDare created by the application.

917 697 500 At, the personalized recipe IDis sent to the production assembly.

980 697 500 At, the personalized recipe IDis received by the production assembly.

990 81 62 At, the personalized nutraceuticalis manufactured and shipped to the consumer.

4 g FIG. 4 f FIG. 100 81 81 60 is a flow chart diagram illustrating an example of a process for systemto create a personalized nutraceuticalsimilar to the process of, except that the actual nutraceuticalis manufactured with a production assembly at the location of the user.

100 330 693 500 81 693 The systemcan be implemented in a wide variety of different configurations. At its core is a recipe computerused to create the personalized recipeand a production assemblyto physically manufacture a personalized nutraceuticalfrom the personalized recipe.

5 a FIG. 100 330 500 693 330 600 100 640 62 693 640 62 640 692 640 643 62 640 62 693 62 81 100 81 600 682 684 688 686 81 62 100 100 is a block diagram of the systemillustrating an example of the inputs and outputs of the recipe computerand the production assembly. The creation of the personalized recipeby the recipe computercan be selectively influenced by any datato which the systemhas access to. An entire library of health attributespertaining to the consumercan be factored into and selectively influence the personalized recipe. That includes health attributesconstituting self-assessments by the consumer, objectively measured health attributescaptured through sensor readings, and derived health attributessuch as the biological ageof the consumerthat are analytically calculated from other health attributespertaining to the consumer. The personalized recipecan also take into consider the location of consumer, the time of year in which the personalized nutraceuticalis to be consumed, and other potential attributes. Machine learning can be used to fine tune and optimize the ability of the systemto produce useful personalized nutraceuticals. Datacan be used from a variety of different data sources, such as sensor readings, user inputs, third-party data sources, and previously stored data. In producing personalized nutraceuticalsfor different consumersover time, the systemcan pool the aggregate amount of information for the benefit of all participants in the systemwithout disclosing any personally identifiable information any third parties.

500 81 693 100 500 510 520 530 540 560 560 570 330 The production assemblycan automatically manufacture without human intervention the personalized nutraceuticalfrom the personalized recipegenerated by the system. The production assemblycan include storage containers, ingredients, mixing containers, heating elements, stirring elements, cooling elements, controls, and a production computerfor automating and monitoring the process.

5 b FIG. 5 a FIG. 5 b FIG. 5 b FIG. 100 330 500 686 688 684 682 600 600 100 686 100 688 100 500 330 330 is a block diagram of the systemillustrating an example of the inputs and outputs of the recipe computerand the production assembly. Unlike,illustrates an array of data sources, such as previously stored data, third party sources, user inputs, and sensor readings. In some instances the exchange of datacan be a two way process, as new datacreated by the systemcan become previously stored datafor future activities by the system. Similarly, the exchange with third party sourcescan be two-way, to facilitate the sharing of information with the system. As illustrated in, many embodiments of the production assemblywill include a production computerthat is separate from the recipe computer.

5 c FIG. 100 330 330 500 330 330 330 100 330 684 682 330 is a block diagram of the systemillustrating an example of the inputs and outputs of the user computer, the recipe computer, and the production assembly. In many embodiments, the user computer, recipe computer, and production computerare each separate and distinct components of the system. The user computercan capture user instructions and information in the form of user inputsand sensor readingscaptured by the user computer, which can be a ubiquitous consumer electronics device such as a smart phone, tablet, or even a wearable device such as a smart watch.

100 100 Many features and inventive aspects of the systemare illustrated in the Figures which are described above. However, no patent application can fully disclose through the use of text descriptions or graphical illustrations, all of the potential embodiments of an invention. In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles and modes of operation of the systemare explained and illustrated with respect to certain preferred embodiments. However, it must be understood that the components, configurations, and methods described above and below may be practiced otherwise than is specifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spirit or scope. Each of the various elements described in the glossary set forth in Table 1 above can be implemented in a variety of different ways while still being part of the spirit and scope of the invention.